Well I'd say concentrate on learning the basic techniques until you have them mastered - then worry about how you turn that into a personal style. And the best way to master a technique is to work at copying a specific shot until you can do it exactly (and understand why). So emulating someone else's work is the first necessary step.(posted 8434 days ago)As for models, I was, in fact, very lucky to find my first model through the internet: a Russian girl who had the chance to go to Milan to do runway modeling, but chose to come to the US to go to college. But she's the only one I've run across that had a high- fashion look as well as the height. Anyone who has that combination is probably already modeling (and has been since age 14). Of course, if you do have some good shots to show them, I'm sure they'd be interested in TFP. But if you don't, you're in a catch-22. And that goes for makeup artists too. It just happens that I had a couple of shots that this girl liked - even though she had shot with some established photographers before.)
But remember, swimsuit models are not high fashion models - and neither are local catalog models, fetish models, cheerleaders, homecoming queens, or exotic dancers. The best you can hope for from these are some editorial or beauty shots.